Electronic tolls plan meets resistance

Wednesday

Aug 21, 2013 at 6:00 AMAug 21, 2013 at 11:04 PM

By Alli Knothe, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials spent more than an hour Tuesday evening listening to public feedback on a proposal that would convert tollbooths in the state to an electronic, no-cash system.

Members of the public at the meeting at City Hall said they were worried about a number of issues with the new system, including the technology, the cost and the fairness of the system.

Bobbie Chase of Worcester asked Mass DOT officials what residents could do to stop the system from being implemented. She was told to contact her local legislator.

The system is scheduled to “go live” on June 30, 2017, said Stephen M. Collins, director of statewide tolling for MassDOT.

Eventually, those old plazas will be torn down, said Michael Trepanier, a senior environmental planner with MassDOT's highway division who made a brief presentation regarding the plan at the beginning of the meeting before taking questions.

Under the plan, drivers will lose the option of paying with cash on the road and would be charged instead through an E-ZPass transponder on their windshield linked to a bank account or other payment options.

Vehicle owners without a transponder would be sent a bill through a “Pay by Plate” system which photographs the license plate as the vehicle passes and then mails a bill to the vehicle owner's registered address.

“If the costs are going down, why do cash-payers have to pay a surcharge?” Joe Smiderman of Northboro asked of the Pay by Plate option.

Mrs. Chase said she and her husband want to continue paying cash. “If we used it regularly we'd get a transponder,” she said.

The purpose of the project, Mr. Trepanier said, is to get rid of delays, boost efficiency and improve safety.

Some of those who commented on the system were upset about the state continuing to impose tolls on drivers in Western Massachusetts, which they believe unevenly pays for the cost of construction in Eastern Massachusetts.

While getting rid of the current tollbooths and plazas would ring in about $80 million, installation of the new system is forecast to cost nearly $120 million. The full cost would be paid by toll revenues.

Drivers without transponders, which are currently free in the state, would be charged an administrative fee of about $1 to $2, Mr. Collins said.

The system would include 17 gantry facilities, which look like two parallel sign posts that arch over the highways. Each facility will also include a small 10-by-20-foot structure for the equipment. Compared with other alternatives considered, “construction impact is minimal,” Mr. Trepanier said.

And because drivers would no longer be stopping at the tolls, Mr. Trepanier estimated that drivers would save up to 3,600 gallons of fuel per day.

Under the proposed system, drivers would no longer go through a toll plaza to get on the highway or to get off. Instead, they would be charged a set amount to pass through each gantry facility, which can operate with cars going over the speed limit. Although the price of the toll is still up in the air, Mr. Collins said, the current estimate is 40 cents.

And while they are still working out the details, Mr. Collins said that there would be alternative options for those who do not want to use credit or debit cards.

During the presentation, Mr. Trepanier told the crowd that the state would otherwise need to spend a considerable amount to keep the old system operating.

Construction of the new facilities would span from 2014 to 2017. That would be followed by demolition of the current toll plazas and some road reconstruction for some locations.

Environmental officials said at a meeting in Boston last week that the review is not mandatory for the project. They plan to issue an environmental certification on Sept. 6.If implemented, about 400 toll collectors would lose their jobs, Mr. Collins said, but they would likely be considered for other positions in the new system. He noted that the department is working with the toll collectors union on the matter.

Another hearing will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday in Springfield City Hall.

Contact Alli Knothe at aknothe@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @KnotheA